I am going to be starting a Christmas English Bible study in a few weeks for several groups of women I am friends with. We will meet for 3 or 4 weeks, have a one hour lesson, followed by a one-hour craft and conversation time. If you have a craft idea that we could either do in one hour, or work on over several weeks, I’d love to hear it. One thing the ladies are really interested in is making a wreath. Do you have a fun wreath, or other idea? Thanks. you can either post a comment or email me.
UPDATE:
We ended up making some really cute and easy snowpeople, and now we’re making fabric wreaths. Here are links to my posts that have photos and some descriptions. Email me if you need more information:
WREATHS
Snowpeople
I have also made two different Christmas cupcakes at these links:
snowmen cupcakes
Christmas tea cupcakes/cake
You can see all the cakes I’ve made the past few years at this link:
sue’s cakes

Our Saturday was all about images. Here are three from our day:

Image 1: Orange Carved Images:
Next Wednesday, October 31st, our community children’s club is going trick-or-treating. The difference between the American custom and what we are doing is: the moms on the committee (me and 4 others) have bought all the treats and will deliver the treats ahead of time to five different homes in the community. Then our children will go in groups to the five homes to “trick or treat.”
In preparation for this, each child was asked to decorate a plain white bag for collecting the treats. So, yesterday morning, Annie and Owen and I did a “project.” (Anything with paint, markers, or glue is considered a project – announcing a project brings great joy in our home!) We carved out two pieces of potato to make into a jack-o-lantern shape, and dipped them into paint and then onto our white bags. We made a few extra for our friends the Thomson kids, who we will see tomorrow for a separate Halloween celebration. It was a successful project morning: I was able to get the orange paint off of the tablecloth and the floor where it spilled. (successful project in my book = lots of smiles PLUS no permanent damage to the house).

Image 2: Gold Carved Images:

In the afternoon, Eric came home from his men’s English class and we decided to go on several errands, and ended the afternoon driving around Sanda’s Aono dam to look at the leaves changing colors. It is still a bit early, but the golden harvest colors were beautiful.

Across from the lake, we ended up turning around in front of a Buddhist temple that we often see from afar, featuring two LARGE gold Buddhas overlooking the valley. Up close, we couldn’t help but chuckle at the very large smiling Buddha in front of us. It seemed so out of place in this beautiful landscape…

The smiling Buddha is used in various Buddhist and New Age sects representing the desire by those who visit for prosperity. He is always depicted with a bald head, wide smile, big belly, and clutching a purse. In Japan, the statue is called hotei.

Image 3: Images from Heaven
Yesterday morning we woke up to a phone text message telling us that our annual church picnic was cancelled because of rain. Off and on all morning was cloudy, and then suddenly bursts of showers that spewed out and felt like the world was ending. Three minutes later, the sun fought its way through the clouds. It was the craziest weather — certainly not the day for a picnic. But a great reminder about what is real.
Pumpkins are fun — see an orange carved pumpkin and I smell apple cider and conjure up memories of dressing up with my sisters to go out and get treats. The smiling Buddha — popular today with Feng Shui fans, but merely an empty shell reflecting the whim of its human creator. But the rain pouring from the heavens… lightning suddenly filling the sky… these are tangible images that reflect the creativity, the beauty, the reality of our Creator God, the Lord of the Harvest.

(Jeremiah 51)
16 When he thunders, the waters in the heavens roar;
he makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth.
He sends lightning with the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.

17 “Every man is senseless and without knowledge;
every goldsmith is shamed by his idols.
His images are a fraud;
they have no breath in them.

18 They are worthless, the objects of mockery;
when their judgment comes, they will perish.

19 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these,
for he is the Maker of all things,
including the tribe of his inheritance—
the LORD Almighty is his name.

Our family returned very late last night from five days on Etajima Island, near Hiroshima. We had an Asian Access church planting conference, and went to this small island by car ferry,

While the idea of “island” might conjure up romantic images, it really – wasn’t! We were staying in a government-run facility costing a whopping $12/day per person, including three meals a day (featuring raw shredded cabbage every time!). It was spartan, strict (we had to take all of our trash home with us!), and routine-driven.

Every morning at 6:40 am a loud-speaker blasted us out of bed, reminding us that morning flag-raising and exercises would begin in twenty minutes. We scrambled to get us and our kids dressed and to the bathroom, and then all of us from Asian Access, kids and all, in three straight lines five minutes before flag-raising began. We were surrounded by other groups who were also using the same facility.

Following the flag-raising ceremony, we were led in the traditional Japanese morning exercises, performed daily across the country at schools, camps, and office places (really).

Here’s a glimpse of what we looked like (I’m behind the camera; at the end of the clip you can see how thrilled our friend Nozomi is!).

Of course, the day would not be complete without a flag-lowering ceremony at the end of the day. Eric was a participant one day; Annie helped me do it another day. Both morning and night, the Japanese national anthem played in the background.

As much as we rolled our eyes every time the loud speaker came on informing us of some place we were supposed to be or something we were supposed to do, the routine of it all was strangely comforting. By the second or third day, we knew what to do. There was something a bit nice about greeting the morning all together; about beckoning our bodies to wake up and join the day even before caffeine had a chance to enter in. To start, and end, the day, in such solidarity had a peculiar sweetness about it.

Exercise daily in God—no spiritual flabbiness, please! Workouts in the gymnasium are useful, but a disciplined life in God is far more so, making you fit both today and forever. You can count on this. Take it to heart. This is why we’ve thrown ourselves into this venture so totally. We’re banking on the living God, Savior of all men and women, especially believers. (I Timothy 4:6, the Message).

In between, and after, these physical routines our Asian Access church-planting family met together for some mental and spiritual disciplining — training in coaching and various seminars relevant to our ministries. As we spent the days learning, playing, and worshipping together, I thought about how cool it is to be teamed up with this group. Just as we often hear what a strange group Jesus aligned himself with,several times I looked around the room and wondered what on earth all of us are doing here together. Not much in common, if you were to look at our professions before coming to Japan: botanist; teacher; lawyer; interpreter…or at our hobbies, or our personalities (Whew! are we different!). But what we have in common — we’ve all thrown ourselves into this venture completely. We’ve planted ourselves at different places in Japan in order to make more worshippers here. We’re banking on the Living God. And this solidarity, whether engaged in conference calls from far-away places… or exercising shoulder-to-shoulder…or laughing over cabbage at breakfast– is, wonderfully, peculiarly, sweet.

(All of the professional-looking photos above are thanks to Craig Chapin!)

I wanted to write a post that shares an email that we received in response to the post on “Three Ideas“. This is from a friend, Jim Newville: (Thanks Jim for some great thoughts!)

“It was a long-standing custom for Christians to have some kind of altar in the home as the center for family prayer and worship. At least some Catholics and probably most Orthodox Christians still do this. (The Orthodox call it an “icon corner.”) Lutherans seem to be rediscovering this practice. (See http://xrysostom.blogspot.com/2007/09/why-and-how-of-home-altars.html and http://christopherdhall.blogspot.com/2007/07/family-altar.html.) I think it survived in some Protestant traditions until fairly recently. I suspect those large, illustrated family Bibles are a remnant of this custom. In some Protestant circles, the term “Family Altar” survives as a synonym for family devotions.

In this media-saturated society, I think Christians, particularly children, need concrete and visible signs of their faith. I’m always disappointed when I go into a home, especially Christian homes, if there are no visible signs that they are Christians. I feel that there ought to be something to remind the family and inform guests that Jesus is the Lord of their home – a cross, a family Bible, a picture of Jesus, a plaque of the 10 Commandments, something. Instead of that, you have TV’s, and they are getting bigger and bigger. We grant televisions such prominent places in our home; why not the first place to the Lord?

As far as using a butsudan for a Christian altar, I think most Japanese Protestant Christians would bulk at praying before one even in Jesus’ name. When I was in Japan, the Norweigian missionary pastor of Rokko Lutheran Church introduced Taize music to his Japanese congregation. Even though the lyrics were obviously Christian, they complained that the music was too Buddhist. I think placing a cross in a butsudan may suggest to non-Christian Japanese that Jesus is just another kami or ancestor. This is why I suggest displaying scriptures affirming monotheism or the Lordship of Jesus. Perhaps displaying the apostles creed would be appropriate, since it confesses both the trinity and the resurrection. I do think a Butsudan could serve well as a family altar and provide opportunities to witness.

It occurred to me that Japanese Catholics may already use a modified butsudan as a family altar. There is (was?) a Catholic bookstore in Sannomiya (Kobe) run by an order called the Daughters of St. Paul. So I looked online and found that they do have them. I definitely prefer the ones with glass doors. (I think that if you are going to have a cross in a home, it should be visible, not hidden in a cabinet.) I wonder if Japanese Orthodox Christians use them for their icon corners. (I serious doubt it, but I don’t really have any idea.)

Finally, my charismatic background leads me to think that if a butsudan has been blessed in a Buddhist ceremony or used for Buddhist worship, it should not be taken over for Christian use without blessing it first. I would do this for the home as well.”

Note from Sue: Thanks for great ideas. They’re making us think….

My brother-in-law, Gene, left for China on Thursday for business, and then my sister Beth left yesterday. My family – even Molly- has been moping ever since.
When Beth came to my ladies’ English class on Thursday, they wanted to know what it was like to grow up with me. Beth shared how we fought a lot – we REALLY didn’t get along. God is good- in college and after he continued to bring healing to our relationship, and has made us great friends now.
Here’s some reaosns why I love my sister Beth:
1) she brought a set of silly teeth for all my kids – here’s Olivia!

2) she made one of my best Japanese friends, Natsuko, tear up when they said goodbye. Natsuko loved her too. Here she and Gene are with our favorite neighbor, Mrs. I.:

3) she wrote in our children’s life journals all the things that she loves about them right now

4) she and Gene brought their favorite dancing CD and we played it all week! Annie is still singing the song. Here they are dancing to the song, “Girl put the record on” (by Corinne Bailey Rae- it’s worth the 99 cents to buy from iTunes)…There’s a video at the end of them in action.

5) she did Annie and Olivia’s toes:

6) She knows where all my silverware is (see previous entry, Golden Fast)

7) She loves all three of our children so much. Aunties really are the best.
So, Beth – this one’s for you -thanks for letting your hair down with us.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

This past weekend we had a two-day training for our house church members by one of the most well-known house church practitioners in Japan, Mitsuo Fukuda. I was only able to attend Sunday, but Eric attended both days.

There were three concepts that I really loved from this weekend:

1) Yesterday, everyone had to practice giving a 90-second testimony. Then before we gathered again today, they were assigned to find someone and give the testimony…in less than 24 hours. While everyone thought it was nearly impossible, especially considering that we all had worship as well before the afternoon session, we heard some wonderful stories from our friends who had a chance –or made a chance — to share their stories with nonChristian friends and family. It was a great reminder that when we have the will, we really can find opportunities to share. I want to try and give mine this next week to someone…

2) In talking about the various rituals and ceremonies in Japanese culture, Mitsuo san said he is thinking about a new way of dealing with Japanese budsudan (Buddhist box for home worship)… Rather than getting rid of the budsudan, he’s considering putting a cross and Bible verses in the front. When people come over, inviting them to pray at the budsudan in the name of Jesus, and asking them for any personal prayer questions they might have. This idea really intrigues me…

3) This morning for house church we started with an ice breaker suggested by Mitsuo san. We took five minutes of silence, in which we closed our eyes and thought about what God really thinks of us, asking God to speak His truth to us. It was so touching to hear each person share… so many said they were really surprised at what they sensed God saying: one of our friends shared that she was so surprised to sense that God really loves her, even though she thought, before praying, that God has been judging her. She was overwhelmed by His love for her. Each of us shared similar words that reinforced the tremendous love that God has for us. Mitsuo san suggests that every day we need to carve time to sit before God and listen…listen to how he feels about us. It will change how we view everything.

We went on Monday and Tuesday with Beth and Gene (my sister and brother-in-law) to Okayama, a prefecture west of us, and stayed in one of their “International Guest Villas”. While the villa was rather spacious as things go in Japan, the bathroom/showers in each room were a bit more…Japanesque. Here’s Owen giving the grand tour:

And a few more fun photos from our Okayama adventures:

Yesterday was Owen’s sports festival at kindergarten. It’s a huge deal in Japan; it was so great to have my sister Beth and her husband Gene here for the event. They flew in the night before, and even though they were probably groggy they came to cheer and enjoy the festivities.
(Here they are at the airport, being greeted by Olivia who wore her favorite little green tutu):

It was a LONG and very hot morning, with all of us standing in the sun for about 3 hours. We were amazed at all these little kids learned and remembered…in addition to obstacle courses and races, each of the three grades did various group songs and dances. We were so proud of Owen, and it was fun to mingle with the families of his school friends as well.
Here’s Owen focusing on one of his events – it was an obstacle course/relay:

Here are a few photos from the morning:
Walking from our home to the kindergarten:

All the kids preparing for the opening exercises:

Owen with his buddies (he’s the one with his arms extended):

Eric was one of the parent helpers that day (actually, the only Dad helper- the rest were all moms. I was so proud of him):

Our little star getting to sit down in the shade for a break:

Uncle Gene and Olivia:

All of the future kindergarten students had a chance to shine as well, and receive pinwheel gifts:

Finally, you’ve all heard about women who drive to work and put mascara on in the car….well, my sister Beth topped that one. I made them hurry out of the house so we wouldn’t be late, and this was the scene as we were walking down our street to the school:

It’s been refreshing and great fun to have them with us. Our kids are loving the loving – thanks for coming, Beth and Gene!

Today was my ladies’ English class. We had nine there, most of whom also attended the crockpot party yesterday.
After the English lesson, my Japanese partner led the chapel time. She passed out the words in English of “Jesus Loves Me” and we taught the song, with hand motions, to the class. She explained the meaning of the words in Japanese, and shared a story that Eric’s mom had shared when she visited here last year. Before other family members were believers, Eric’s grandmother used to take him when he was still in diapers to church. He would sit with the older kids during Sunday School. One day the teacher asked, “How do we know that Jesus loves us?” The other children sat in silence, but Eric raised his hand and said, “For the Bible tells me so.”

Here’s the class singing a third verse:

I played for them the video clip of Olivia “singing” this in her crib one day. (See Tone Deaf). Then the class put up with me singing them this song in Shona language, which I had learned as wee one when living in Zimbabwe. It’s amazing what sinks into children’s hearts – that was 40 years ago!

It was so so simple, this chapel time. But somehow these nine women who I have come to love over the past few years– hearing them sing these truths touched my heart so deeply. Several of them already know that Jesus loves them (though none of us there really know how much). But five of them – they are still trying to figure all of this out. How much would change if they really, really believed the truths of this song.

“This is who you are, your identity, loved by God. But being loved is not all there is to it. Being loved creates a person who can love, who must love. Getting love is a launch into giving love….Every sentence [of John] comes out more or less the same: God loves you; Christ shows you how love works; now you love. Love, love, love, love. Just do it.” (Eugene Peterson)

Once a young student asked Barth if he could sum up what was most important about his life’s work and theology in just a few words. The question was posed even with gasps from the audience. Barth just thought for a moment and then smiled, “Yes, in the words of a song my mother used to sing me, ‘Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.’

Jesus loves me! This I know, For the Bible tells me so;
Little ones to Him belong, They are weak but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

Today we had our crockpot party -it was way fun.

There were ten of us, who each brought a crockpot filled with a different dish. I had given them all recipes that either I have used and were passed on to me (thanks for some great ones!), and then each of these Japanese friends had taken the recipe, translated it into Japanese, and made the dish. They also brought along copies of each of their translated recipes. We spent about ten or fifteen minutes on each dish- everyone trying it, reading the recipe, talking about it. It was amazing how much laughter and enjoyment was shared around the table!

Some favorites: Meatballs with sweetened condensed milk as the secret ingredient; custard and apple crisp desserts made in the crockpot; Japanese nikujaga; Country Captain chicken; and hearty Italian soup.
One little tidbit I found out about life in Japan: in certain areas, the electric company drops electric prices by 2/3s from 11 pm to 6 am. So, three of these ladies are loving using their crockpot to cook their meals throughout the night, at a much lower cost. Never knew that before.

We are planning to do this again in January – next time I’ve assigned each friend to bring their own original recipe! That should be interesting. In the midst of what has proven to be a very intense week, it was nice to just enjoy being with a group of friends who are taking great joy in their new crockpot treasures.

(Don’t you think Rival should put our photo on their website or something??)